1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an automatic answering telephone set.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Some conventional types of automatic answering telephone sets have only a function of reproducing and sending a pre-recorded message for an unspecified calling party from an outside telephone set (which party will hereinafter be referred to as the general calling party). The abovesaid function will hereinafter be referred to as the for-general-calling-party message reproducing and sending function. Some other prior art automatic answering telephone sets have another function of recording a message from the general calling party (which function will hereinafter be referred to as the general calling party message function).
However, such conventional automatic answering telephone sets do not have a function of sending a specified message only to a specified calling party.
In view of the above, there has recently been proposed an automatic answering telephone set which has a function of reproducing and sending a pre-recorded message for the specified calling party from an outside telephone set.
However, such an automatic answering telephone set is bulky and complicated in construction and is expensive.
The automatic answering telephone set having such a for-specified-calling-party message reproducing and sending function is designed so that the function is fulfilled by the use of call information assigned to the specified calling party.
Accordingly, in the case of such an automatic answering telephone set, if the general calling party happens to become acquainted with the content of the call information for the specified calling party call information, there is the possibility that the general calling party learns the message for the specified calling party using the call information for the specified calling party.
This can be avoided by changing the content of the call information for the specified calling party if it is seen or considered that the general calling party has learned the content of the call information for the specified calling party.
Accordingly, it is desired that the automatic answering telephone set having the for-specified-calling-party message reproducing and sending function has such a construction that it may readily accord with a change in the content of the call information for the specified calling party.
Further, it will be very convenient if the automatic answering telephone set having the for-specified-calling-party message reproducing and sending function has such a function that the content of the pre-recorded message for the specified calling party can be changed from an outside telephone set by a person in a position to give the message for the specified calling party message. (This function will hereinafter be referred to as the for-specified-calling-party message content changing function.)
Further, it will be very convenient if the automatic answering telephone set having the for-specified-calling-party message reproducing and sending function has such a function of recording not only the message for the specified calling party but also a message from the specified calling party in answer to the message therefor (which message will hereinafter be referred to as the specified party answering message). This function will hereinafter be referred to as the for-specified-calling-party message and answering message recording function.
Also, it will be very convenient if the automatic answering telephone set having the for-specified-calling-party message reproducing and sending function has such a display function which indicates whether or not the message for the specified calling party reproducing and sending function is used.